


hold me like i'm more than just a friend

by ShyAudacity



Series: Riverdale Prompt Fills [14]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Fainting, Fever, Gen, Hurt Archie Andrews, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Injuries, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Pining, Pre-Slash, Prompt Fill, Reggie Isn't a Total Douchbag, Secret Crush, Sick Character, Tell me if I missed anything, Touching, Worried Jughead Jones, coach clayton is mentioned too, kevin and moose are only mentioned so its not tagged
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-04
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-29 11:16:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12629799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShyAudacity/pseuds/ShyAudacity
Summary: Jughead is only halfway through writing an article for the Red & Black when his phone rings, it’s Archie. He feels his jaw tighten when he answers and the person on the other end of the phone is very much not Archie.“The hell is this?” Jughead spits into the phone.“It’s Reggie,” He says. “Archie blacked out and he’s asking for you.”All of the panic sensors in Jughead’s body start to go off at once.ORanon asked: Prompt: Reggie and jughead and a hurt Archie, like really hurt Archie!(I added some feelings haha sorry)





	hold me like i'm more than just a friend

**Author's Note:**

> I thought that this would be longer, but I'm still happy with it.
> 
> Unbeta'd and title from Adele's All I Ask.

Jughead is only halfway through writing an article for the Red & Black when his phone rings, it’s Archie. He feels his jaw tighten when he answers and the person on the other end of the phone is very much _not_ Archie.

“The hell is this?” Jughead spits into the phone.

_“It’s Reggie,”_ He says. “ _Archie blacked out and he’s asking for you.”_

All of the panic sensors in Jughead’s body start to go off at once.

“Don’t let him leave, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

He hangs up and packs up all of his stuff, the article forgotten, and head’s out to his motorcycle. Jughead speeds the entire drive over, it’s a miracle that Sheriff Keller or one of the other deputies on the force doesn’t try and stop him.

Once he’s at Riverdale High, he doesn’t bother getting a visitor’s pass, instead he comes in through the side door he always used when he was still sleeping at the school. Jughead doesn’t stop walking until he’s reached the boys locker room. He’s not sure what he expected to see once he got there, but as he pushes the door open, he’s only slightly surprised.

Reggie is standing in front Archie, apparently making small talk. Archie, unlike his teammates that are walking around, is in regular clothes opposed to his jersey and pads. He’s sitting on the bench beside Reggie, bent over as his arm props up his forehead. Reggie gives Jughead the bro nod, says something quiet that catches Archie’s attention.

He looks up at Jughead with glazed over eyes as he comes in, sighs a little. Once he’s less than a foot away, Archie moves his hand and presses his hot head into Jughead’s stomach. It’s blatantly obvious that he has a fever.

Jughead freezes for a minute, hopes that Reggie doesn’t say anything about the closeness between the two of them. Thankfully he’s too caught up in his phone to give them a second glance.

“I told you that you should’ve stayed home from school.” He mutters.

Archie grunts, but Jughead chooses to ignore it. He had texted Jughead that morning complaining of a headache, but then insisted that he was well enough to attend school. As luck would have it, he was wrong.

Jughead looks to Reggie, “What happened? How hard did he get hit?”

“That’s just it, he didn’t,” Reggie tells him. “He blacked out before the practice even started, eyes rolled into the back of his head and everything. Freaky shit, man.”

Jughead quirks a brow at Reggie, feeling confused by his statement. Why would Archie have blacked out if he wasn’t hurt? Is his fever really that bad? Jughead’s panic only increases when he looks down and realizes that Archie’s hair is more red than usual.

“Arch, why is your head bleeding?”

This catches both Archie’s and Reggie’s attention. Reggie straightens up, stops leaning against the wall to look at Archie more intently.

Archie sits up, moves away from Jughead’s stomach, then winces a little when he touches the right side of his head, near his hairline. When he pulls it away, the palm of his hand has a bloody spot in the middle.

“How the hell did you manage to do that?” Reggie asks. “You didn’t hit your head when you blacked out, did you?”

“Happened earlier.” Archie mutters. “Tripped on some stairs during sixth period.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Jughead asks.

Archie shrugs, pressing his face into Jughead’s stomach again.

“He could have a concussion,” Reggie says quietly. “Also, we should probably clean that up so it doesn’t get infected. I think coach keeps a first aid kit in his office.”

Jughead nods, “Okay, okay yeah, good idea.”

Reggie disappears into Coach Clayton’s office, and Jughead takes a moment to squeeze Archie’s shoulder.

Ever since they were kids, Jughead has always somehow been there whenever Archie got hurt. Like the little league game where he broke his elbow, or the time in third grade when he dislocated his jaw on the playground. Jughead was always there to keep him calm. After a while, he just figured that the universe was trying to tell him something: he has to stay with Archie, he has to protect him.

Reggie comes out of Coach’s office with antiseptic and some tissues. Coming closer, he inspects the gash without touching it too much.

“I don’t think it needs stitches,” He says. “But this might hurt. Hold him still for me?”

Jughead nods again, moves away so Reggie can get a better look at it. Jughead keeps one hand on Archie’s shoulder and the other on the side of his jaw. He realizes that this would be weirdly intimate if Archie weren’t practically falling asleep right in front of him. Jughead snaps a couple of times to get his attention.

“Don’t fall asleep on us yet,” He tells Archie. “You can do that when you go home.”

Archie scoffs, then winces when the antiseptic touches his cut.

“Sorry, bro,” Reggie says. “Just be glad that it wasn’t any worse.”

He finishes up a minute later, patting Archie’s shoulder.

Archie sways for a moment as he gets to his feet, Jughead almost worries that he’s going to black out again. He realizes that there’s no way he’s going to make it all the way to the Andrew’s house with Archie on the back of his bike without one or both of them getting seriously injured.

Jughead sighs, already in disbelief at what he’s about to say.

“Reggie… can we get a ride?”

***

It’s unnervingly quiet in Reggie’s truck. Archie is dozing on Jughead’s shoulder, and Jughead has made it a point to stare out the window, trying to avoid any awkward conversation. It’s not like Jughead would ever hang around Reggie if Archie didn’t have something do to with it. Ever since they were kids, Reggie has always picked on him; Jughead could never come a conclusion as to why, and at this point he doesn’t really care.

He’s caught off guard when Reggie actually speaks up.

“I’m not surprised that he asked for you…” He says. “You two are practically attached at the hip.”

Something about how nonchalantly Reggie makes the statement worries Jughead.

It’s not like there’s anything going on between Archie and Jughead. Sure, Jughead has been harboring what might be the world’s largest crush on Archie for the last two years, but he hasn’t told anyone about it, not even his sister. He knows all too well how secrets spread like wildfire in this town. If Jughead so much as gave off the impression that he liked Archie, half the town would know before the day ends. 

After pulling up to the Andrews house, Reggie helps a still mostly asleep Archie inside while Jughead pulls his bike out of the back of the truck. He comes inside just as Reggie is disposing Archie onto the couch.

Archie groans in his feverish state of half awareness; something about it makes Jughead want to console him.

Reggie speaks up again as he walks away from the couch, back towards the door.

“Tell Arch that I’ll cover for him with coach. Also, don’t let him sleep too long if he does have a concussion cause-.”

“Cause it could end badly, yeah I know.” Jughead bites. “I’ll have him text you when he wakes up or something.”

Reggie nods, then stops, his open palm hovering over the door handle.

“Hey, uh- not that it’s any of my business, but are you guys dating or somethin’?”

Jughead feels his blood run cold. In hindsight he shouldn’t have anything to be afraid of because the answer is no. It does, however, mean that the two of them give off the depiction of two people who are dating. Jughead doesn’t know if Archie feels about him in that way; frankly he’s afraid to find out.

“I don’t care if you are either way,” Reggie continues. “I was just asking, it’s not like I’m gonna tell anybody. I gotta an older brother that’s gay, so I know better than to out someone. Also, I think that Moose and Kevin might be boning, but don’t tell anyone I said that.”

Jughead smirks, relieved that Reggie didn’t have anything negative to say like he thought he would. Thinks that maybe he’s not as bad as he originally thought. He glances over his shoulder at Archie, wonders if there actually _is_ anything there other than some one-sided crush. Jughead pushes it aside, ignores the question.

“Thanks again for the ride, Reggie.”

Reggie nods, already hallway out the door.

He calls over his shoulder. “See you ‘round, Jones.”

Jughead sighs as he shuts the door, rolling his shoulders back to relieve some of the tension. He nearly has a heart attack when he sees Archie standing a few feet away opposed to asleep on the couch.

“Why didn’t you answer his question?” He asks.

Jughead deflects, pushing him back towards the couch.

“You’re supposed to be asleep.”

“You’re doing it again.” Archie mumbles, pulling Jughead with him and onto the couch. He presses the uninjured side of his head into Jughead’s thigh, making himself comfortable.

“Would it be such a bad thing if we were dating?” He mumbles, already falling asleep again.

Jughead hopes he doesn’t notice how he stiffens up under where Archie is lying on him. not knowing what else to do, he scratches at the hair by Archie’s ear, trying to avoid his cut, and the rest of the conversation.

“Let’s talk about this when you don’t have a fever or a head injury, okay?” He whispers.

Archie hums a little, curling one hand around Jughead’s knee.

Jughead hasn’t thought much about his future, in fact he makes it a point not to. Right now, though, it’s all that he can seem to think about. He tries, and mostly fails, not to think about how infatuated he is with Archie, and how whatever this is that’s going on between the two of them could affect the rest of their lives.

_If Archie’s there,_ he thinks to himself, _I guess it wouldn’t be that bad._

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully Reggie isn't always an ass towards Jughead in the show. 
> 
> Hey! Thanks so much for reading my fic! If you liked it then please leave a comment or a kudos, they encourage me to write more. If you wanna talk about Riverdale, or leave a prompt, then you can find me on tumblr as archieandrewsprotectionsquad (it's a sideblog, and no porn or mpreg requests please). Thanks again for reading my fic, have a great day!


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